CARSON -- Coming off a 2012 campaign that saw the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros notch the most California Collegiate Athletic Association wins of any team in the league, the 2013 Toros return four All-Region selections with the sky being the limit for head coach Joe Flanagan's squad that looks to return to the NCAA postseason after missing the playoffs last year.

Senior midfielder Jio Santana, senior forward Aaron Salazar, senior defender Jordan Hatanaka and sophomore defender Tony Alfaro all claimed all-region honors last year, and will be joined by senior forward and 2nd-team All-CCAA selection Miguel Vazquez on a squad that will welcome back senior keeper Trey Mitchell, who finished 3rd in the CCAA in goals against average, as well as senior All-American defender Ernie Ramos and senior keeper Markus Dickerson after time away from the sport.

With this much returning and experienced talent at Flanagan's disposal at each of the four positions, it's no wonder the league head coaches voted CSUDH as the team to beat in the CCAA preseason poll released on August 23.

"Our returning nucleus is very strong and we added a couple big recruits, so I think on paper this team has all the ingredients to make a good run," begins Flanagan.  "They will have to continue to challenge each other and demand the best from themselves on a daily basis.

"We should have a lot of firepower, so if they realize that they need to continue to put in hard work and keep their focus, they can do something really special this year."

Here's a closer look at this year's Toro squad.

FORWARD

Seniors Aaron Salazar and Miguel Vazquez headline the talended forwards, bringing speed, explosiveness and a quick release to opposing defenses.

Coming off a season in which he was named to the 3rd-team NSCAA All-Region squad after earning the CCAA Newcomer of the Year and 2nd-team All-CCAA honors, Salazar led led the team in goals and points, and finished 4th in the CCAA in points and 5th in both goals and assists.  Additonally, the West Covina native was the lone Toro to earn CCAA Player of the Week honors and added a pair of multi-goal efforts.

Vazquez, meanwhile, one of four four-year seniors, earned a 2nd-team All-CCAA selection after sharing the team lead and tying for 2nd in the CCAA in assists, with three coming against Cal State East Bay.  The Murrieta native notched his lone game-winner against arch-rival Sonoma State in the then-Home Depot Center, giving him four GWGs in his solid career.

"Aaron and Miguel took a while to get going last year, but we saw towards the end of the season they were playing very well together," Flanagan begins.

"Either can win games for us this year, and we expect Aaron to really make an impression on the CCAA even more than last year."

MIDFIELDER

Two-time all-region selection in senior Jio Santana anchors a stellar midfield position that returns 3 out of our 4 starters from last season, with the northern California transplant looking to end his career with a bang.  Earning 2nd-team all-region honors in both the NSCAA and Daktronics, Santana also earned 1st-team All-CCAA honors after finishing 2nd in the CCAA in assists, 4th in game-winning goals, 5th in points and 7th in goals.  The Bishop native turned it on as the season progressed, tallying 4 goals and 4 assists over the final 8 games of the season.

"It took Jio 4 or 5 games to really get a feel for our team and our expectations of him last year," says Flanagan.  "He is a tremendous player who we expect to be a force throughout the season.

"He is a great player who just needs to take more upon himself and take more responsibility for the team as our quarterback."

Sophomore Jose Vaca leads three other returning midfielders who contributed to the team's statline last season with a pair of goals and assists, with fourth-year senior Wyatt Stucker, junior Victor Cervantes and sophomore Connor Archambault combining for a goal and four assists.

Sophomores Sebastian Cortez and Andrew Johnson also are expected to see playing time up front after combining for four goals and three assists last year.

"We will have some tough decisions to make with with our midfield," says Flanagan about his dilemma, one that most coaches in the nation would love to have.

"All these players can create and score, and if you throw in Alejandro Covarrubias, our top recruit, and you're looking at one of our top midfields we've ever had," he continues.  "Patrick Fuchs is another central mid who will play as a freshman, an extremely talented player with a bright future."

DEFENDER

"On paper, this group is strong," Flanagan says with confidence, and a smile.

Redshirt sophomore Tony Alfaro returns after picking up 3rd-team NSCAA All-Region and 2nd-team All-CCAA honors for a stellar freshman campaign, establishing himself as a force around the league and adding his first collegiate goal in a 3-0 win over Cal Poly Pomona in late October.

The defense also will receive a big boost this year as it welcomes back senior Ernie Ramos after a two-year hiatus.  A 6-2 presence who earned Honorable Mention Daktronics All-America, 1st-team Daktronics All-Region, 3rd-team NSCAA All-Region and 1st-team All-CCAA honors, Ramos helped the 2010 squad to 12 shutouts and four games with a single goal scored.

"Our two centerbacks in Tony Alfaro and Ernie Ramos would be comparable to our best pairing of Joe Cartlidge and Tony DeVogt, which helped us win the 2000 NCAA title," Flanagan continues.  "Alfaro and Ramos can flat out dominate at their position, and are both leaders who will make players around them better."

Senior Jordan Hatanana earned 1st-team Daktronics and 3rd-team NSCAA all-region honors as well as 1st-team All-CCAA accolades, and returns for his fourth and final year on the backline. 

The Utah native scored the first goal of college career in 3-1 win at Chico State, adding game-winner in a 1-0 win over CS San Bernardino while adding three assists, including a pair in 3-1 win over San Francisco State as an added bonus after helping the Toros post five shutouts and limit opposing teams to a single score in seven other contests.

Junior Mario Romero also returns after seeing action in 15 games, with 12 starts.

"With Jordan and Mario, we have two players who are extremely strong 1v1 defenders which makes things hard on our opponents, and all four of these player will be dangerous going forward as well.

"We have great depth with players like Bryan Haley and Jeff Brandon as well, who are both redshirt freshmen."

KEEPER

This year's battle for playing time between the pipes will be fierce, and should bring out the best in both returner Trey Mitchell and Markus Dickerson, who makes his own return after one year away from competition.

Mitchell finished 2012 3rd in GAA in the league, 5th in save percentage, 7th in shutouts, 8th in shutouts per game, 9th in saves and 10th in saves per game, while seeing action in 14 games totaling 1090:00 minutes in net, also boasting CSUDH's 5th-best single-season GAA in program history.

Dickerson, meanwhile, sits behind his senior teammate in 6th with a 0.76 GAA set in 2009, also standing 2nd in wins (18 in 2009), and 3rd (11 in 2009) and 4th (9.5 in 2010) in shutouts in a single season.

In his 64 games played with 59 starts, the Beaumont native is the CSUDH all-time leader in career shutouts, and needs just 5 wins to establish himself as the Toros' all-time leader in career victories.

Additionally, Dickerson's 0.93 GAA entering 2013 is 5th best amongst CSUDH's legacy of stellar netminders, just .07 behind Kyle Polak, who played from 2004-06.

"Trey came a long way last year and played a lot, which is what he needed," begins Flanagan, while "Markus has come back and looks sharp right away.  This will be great for the position as it will be a battle throughout the year.  It's going to be tough."

NEWCOMERS

A two-time All-America selection at Cerritos College and the Defensive MVP as a sophomore, Alejandro Covarrubias highlights this year's recruiting class as someone who "can do everything and will bring another dimension to an already strong midfield."

A former teammate at Mt. SAC, Heriberto Ponce, Jr. will reunite with Salazar after the duo led the squad to the state title, and bring his 6-3 frame and scoring punch up front.

A pair of freshmen in Patrick Fuchs and Danny Herrera also are expected to bring depth and talent, with Herrera being named the Offensive MVP at Long Beach Wilson High School last year en route to 1st-team all-city honors.

THE RETURN OF THE RETURNERS

A pair of imposing seniors in defender Ernie Ramos and keeper Markus Dickerson will add to an already talented and hungry squad.

Ramos, who earned All-America status during his last year of competition three years ago, "brings a lot of on-the-field leadership, and will be a calming influence within our group."  Definitely not a good sign for opposing offenses, Ramos feels he has "something to prove" since last donning the Cardinal and Gold, and is "ecstatic to be back and can't wait to make his mark this year."

Dickerson, meanwhile, has the coaching staff glowing after looking "better now than he did a couple years ago," when he was the team's vocal leader.  The Beaumont native and Mitchell both will benefit with new keepers coach Daniel Gonzalez, who comes to CSUDH from Chivas USA.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The sky's the limit for this year's Toro squad, which has the talent, depth, and experience to make a run at not only the CCAA and NCAA postseason, but back to the NCAA Championships after winning the NCAA title in 2008, the program's second in an eight-year stretch.

But Flanagan and his veteran coaching staff know that what appears on paper means little to nothing, and that his team will need to continue the momentum from last year's second half.

"We need to start where we left off last year," says Flanagan as a matter-of-fact.  "Those first two non-conference games are important, and if we start well, it will set the tone for the season."

And knowing how tough the league is, and that they'll be the marked team after being chosen to win the CCAA Title in a preseason vote of league coaches, will eliminate any chance of complacency settling in.

"Our league, as usual, will be extremely difficult, and we have to be at the top of our game every day," concludes Flanagan.

"But if we continue to focus on ourselves, and strive and compete and stay hungry daily, in practice and on game days, that will set the tone for this team.

"If that happens, I like our chances."